Here are the nominees for this year's Oscars, which may or may not happen.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
* Atonement
* Juno
* Michael Clayton
* No Country for Old Men
* There Will Be Blood
Achievement in Directing
* Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
* Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
* Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
* Jason Reitman, Juno
* Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
* George Clooney, Michael Clayton
* Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
* Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
* Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
* Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
* Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
* Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
* Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
* Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
* Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
* Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
* Julie Christie, Away from Her
* Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
* Laura Linney, The Savages
* Ellen Page, Juno
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
* Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
* Ruby Dee, American Gangster
* Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
* Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
* Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
* Persepolis
* Ratatouille
* Surf's Up
Original Screenplay
* Diablo Cody, Juno
* Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
* Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
* Brad Bird, Ratatouille
* Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
Adapted Screenplay
* Christopher Hampton, Atonement
* Sarah Polley, Away from Her
* Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
* Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
* Beaufort (Israel)
* The Counterfeiters (Austria)
* Katyn (Poland)
* Mongol (Kazakhstan)
* 12 (Russia)
Original Score
* Atonement: Dario Marianelli
* The Kite Runner: Alberto Iglesias
* Michael Clayton: James Newton Howard
* Ratatouille: Michael Giacchino
* 3:10 to Yuma: Marco Beltrami
Original Song
* "Falling Slowly," Once: Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
* "Happy Working Song," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
* "Raise It Up," August Rush: Nominees to be determined
* "So Close," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
* "That's How You Know," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Achievement in Art Direction
* American Gangster: Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
* Atonement: Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* The Golden Compass: Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
* Sweeney Todd: Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
* There Will Be Blood: Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
A couple thoughts though.
JUNO for Best Picture? And Jason Reitman for Best Director? This was a great year for film. And we are celebrating a mediocre sitcom like JUNO? It wasn't even as good as the worst episode of THE GILMORE GIRLS which never won an Emmy. How can this get a Best Picture nomination in a world where Lauren Graham never won an Emmy nomination? I guess this proves the Emmys are more difficult to win.
And MICHAEL CLAYTON? It was one of the single most flawed films of the year. The storyline had holes that the entire Academy could have danced through. It wasn't a terrible film, but along with JUNO, one of the most highly overrated.
And while I haven't seen it, Cate Blanchett for ELIZABETH, a film that routinely made the ten worst lists? I guess they like her, they really like her.
Good to see THERE WILL BE BLOOD, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and Philip Seymour Hoffman for CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR.
But reading the entire list, I kind of hope the WGA strikes the Oscars and they are canceled.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Oscar Nominees Are...Forget It
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7 comments:
Usually, I'm bothered by articles and bloggers immediately focusing on who was shut out, but all I can think of is: no Jonny Greenwood nomination for best score? What the ef?
Also, the Best Actress nomination for Laura Linney's career-worst performance is off-putting.
But let's accentuate the positive. Two honest-to-God great films nominated for Best Picture. Viggo, Julie Christie, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Javier all got their much-deserved nominations. And...and...that's all I got.
Greenwood's score has been very divisive. Many people HATE it. Yet, I thought it worked extremely well.
And I haven't seen Linney's film, but always think she is a bit overpraised. So, I might agree.
Tom Wilkinson? TOM WILKINSON!?! I thought his hammy performance was one of the most criticized aspects of "Michael Clayton." Did he ever stop screaming in that movie?
Exactly! Tom Wilkinson was so over the top that he sank what otherwise could have been a good film.
But, they like him, so gave him the award.
And I completely forgot that Amy Adams wasn't nominated!! How could they miss that one!! Or Keira Knightley!
I am glad that INTO THE WILD was basically shut out (except for Hal Holbrook, who did deserve it).
Oh, and Greenwood's score was deemed ineligible. There is an explanation at Jim Emerson's Scanners as to why.
Jonny Greenwood's score was disqualified, wasn't it? too much non-original material? Jim Emerson had the story...
Juno - I don't know. I thought I didn't like it until I started reading some of the other reactions. I don't hate it, but it doesn't hold up as well as Little Miss Sunshine or You and Me and Everyone We Know - previous standard bearers for overhyped indie comedies... Enchanted holds up much better than Juno, across the board. (Though a lampstand could play Patrick Dempsey's part better...)
So the question of a winner comes down to whether Atonement or Michael Clayton was a crappier film. I have a rule for predicting the Oscars - the worst nominated film that you can't automatically eliminate (comedies, foreign language, etc) will win. There are probably some recent exceptions (Million Dollar Baby? Departed?) but not enough to throw out the rule.
And finally - I think I have complained about this every single year, but why can't they have a rational system for foreign films? Why don't they use the same rules for that as everything else? 3 foreign language films got a nomination somewhere (that Edith Piaf film, Diving Bell and Butterfly, Persepolis), but of course the nominees are something else entirely. Usually, the rules almost eliminate films that have actually been released in the states - very strange, very annoying.
Foreign language category is confusing. My understanding is that each country nominates a film - over 60 countries submitted this year. France chose Persepolis (Over La Vie and Diving Bell). I did not see Persepolis, but it must be spectacular to have been chosen over the other two. And I heard The Orphanage was a great flick as well - it was Spain's nomination, but didn't make the cut.
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